Week 3 Fantasy Football Must-Watch Matchups Featuring CeeDee Lamb and Kenneth Walker
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Football is like chess. The game is not as simple as many people think. Honestly, when you think of most sports, it is not as simple as you think. MLB managers have to play chess with their lineups and pitching choices. Golf is about playing the golf course to your strengths. Even auto racing is about pit strategy, tire management, and cornering angles, among others. Football is the same in that there are internal matchups within the game. The more matchups that are won, the more likely that your team is to win that game. These are matchups to watch in Week 3.
Mike Evans vs Sauce Gardner
One of the best, rangey cornerbacks in football will go against the ball 1v1 receivers in football. If the Jets want to win their first game, they must contain the passing game which will go through Mike Evans. As for Fantasy Football, Evans is still a must-start regardless of this, or any matchup. His upside could be limited.
Rome Odunze vs Kaiir Elam/Trevon Diggs
The Cowboys secondary has been nothing short of abysmal through two games. Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson both had career games in Week 2. Meanwhile, the chemistry between Odunze and Caleb Williams is reaching new heights. Ben Johnson may have a new Amon-Ra St Brown in Chicago. Odunze is on my love list.
Bijan Robinson vs Panthers Run Stop
Robinson has a quite advantageous matchup in Week 3. The Panthers defense is not bad by any means, but neither are they great. Bijan is the 3rd ranked running back in Fantasy Football through two weeks (Javonte Williams, Christian McCaffrey). Carolina ranks 25th versus the run. Stock is very high on Bijan.
Jordan Love vs Myles Garrett/Browns Defense
I have said that this game can be a trap for the Packers. This is due to the matchup disadvantage that I find the Packers with. Love is without Jayden Reed and so he will be tested in the vile pass rush led by Myles Garrett. That being said, the Browns are the 31st ranked defense through two games, so this may be an overreaction.
Carson Wentz/Justin Jefferson vs Bengals Defense
The Bengals defense looks much better thus far this season, but the sample size is still very small. Dax Hill will be tasked with majority coverage of Jefferson. Hill ranks as the 9th best cornerback in football per PFF. Geno Stone and Jordan Battle are also among the best safety tandems going at the moment. Stock remains moderate on Jefferson, Up on Hockenson.
CeeDee Lamb vs Bears Secondary
The Bears really could use back Jaylon Johnson, but he will be out again this week. The Bears rank 23rd in passing yards per game allowed, most recently being shredded for 52 points to the Lions. Lamb should have a huge Week 3.
Kenneth Walker III vs Saints Run Stop
The Saints run stop is not yet identified as good or bad, but as Zach Charbonnet is out, Walker may have a big game. I project Seattle among the most likely winners this week, which means they should get up in the game and enter a run-script. Walker could very well have 25 touches and a huge game at home. Stock is very high on Walker.
Puka Nacua/Davante Adams vs Eagles Secondary
This matchup will decide whether the Eagles blowout the Rams, or not. They have the potential to blowout any game and this is the Rams best chance to gain chunk plays down the field. The Eagles rank 8th against the pass so far, but if anyone can expose them, it is Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. I would not devalue either of them.
Honorable Mention - The Tush Push vs the Refs
The tush push was nearly banned last May.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 20, 2025
And just two weeks into the 2025 season, the momentum against it is stronger than ever, sources say.https://t.co/wyJqevMcz5 pic.twitter.com/LhOJNvMahO
The NFL has instructed the referees to keep a closer eye on the tush push. This comes after a skycam shot went viral this week showing the Eagles whole offensive line essentially offsides. The tush push is for sure hard to officiate since it become very difficult to locate the football, but do not be surprised if flags start getting thrown. If this becomes an issue in the coming weeks, Jalen Hurts will surely have notable decreased value.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.